Adjustable necktie



June 4, 1935. M, HALPERN r AL 2,003,359

I ADJUSTABLE NECKTIE Filed Nov. 28, 1934 INVENTORS, Maw Ha any BY WZllza/m 9m;

Patented June 4, 1935 PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE NECKTIE Max Halpern and William Mayer,

New York, N. Y.

Application November 28, 1934, Serial No. 755,080

1 Claim.

Our present invention relates generally to neckwear, and has particular reference to an improved type of adjustable neckband.

It is a general object of our invention to provide an improved tie of the type in which the neckband is adjustable as to length by the provision of a hook at its extremity, the same being adapted to be doubled back upon itself so that the hook may be selectively engaged with one of a series of openings or perforations.

More particular objects'of our present invention reside in the provision of a tie construction of greater simplicity, permitting the same to be manufactured at very small expense, and obviating the requirement for specially skilled labor or workmanship for its production.

A feature of our invention lies in the production of a tie device whose mode of manufacture involves, without modification, the usual and customary steps, and the mere additional application to the finished tie of a specially constructed and.

One of the outstanding advantages achieved by the present construction lies in the enhanced strength and durability of the resultant article, this feature arising from a mode of assembly which leaves the tie material intact and unimpaired, and which concentrates all stresses upon a special reinforcement strip.

We achieve the foregoing objects, and such other objects as may hereinafter appear or be pointed out, in the manner-illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a. perspective view of a tie of the ready-made variety, embodying the features of our present invention;

Figure 2 is' an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the added perforated strip of material, shown by itself;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the invention may be applied with equal facility to the type of tie that is not ready made; and

Figure 5 is a, perspective view showing the manner in which the invention is adapted to a fourin-hand tie.

The ready-made type of bow tie embodies the bow l0 and the preformed knot Extending in opposite directions from the rear of the knot II are the neckband portions l2 and I3. The tie as a whole is made adjustable by constructing one of the neckband portions in an adjustable manner, 1. e., by providing a hook I4 at the extremity of the neckband portion I3, whereby this portion may be doubled back upon itself to engage the hook in any one of a series of perforations provided in a predetermined arrangement. A metallic loop I5 is slidably mounted on 5 the neckband portion l3 and is adapted to be engaged at its midportion by a hook l6 that is carried at the extremity of the neckband portion l2. v

In accordance with our invention, the entire 10 device is first constructed in the usual manner, whereby each of the neckband portions consists of two plies of material superposed, one upon the other, and stitched together along the longitudinal edges. In Figure 2, this customary con-:15 struction has been shown, and attention is directed to the outer ply l1 and the inner ply I8, the opposite longitudinal edges being doubled inwardly and stitched together, as at IS.

The manner of applying the hooks I4 and Hi to 20 the extremities of the neckbandportions has not been illustrated in detail, because these particular portions of the structure have no bearing upon the present invention.

Our present improvement resides in applying 25 to the inner surface of the neckband portion l3 an additional strip of material which is illustrated most clearly in Figure 3 and which consists of a length of ordinary ribbon 20 and a somewhat narrower reinforcement band 2|. The ribbon is selvaged along both longitudinal edges 22 and 23 and is of a width substantially equal to the width of the neckband portion to which it is to be applied. The band 2| is composed of any suitable strong material, preferably a form of 35 canvas'or the like, and is also in the form of a ribbon or tape which is selvaged along its opposite longitudinal edges.

By the term selvage, as used herein and in the appended claim, we intend to refer to the 40 type of selvage which is usuallyprovided by weav ing during the manufacture of the fabric,-whereby the resultant product is of single-ply, substantially uniform thickness throughout.

The band 2| is stitched to the length of ribbon 45 20 by means of two rows of longitudinal stitches 24 and 25 so as to arrange the band 2| substantially along the medial longitudinal area of the ribbon 20. A series oflongitudinally spaced perforations 26 is then formed, and the edges are .suitablybound by buttonhole stitching, or in any other preferred manner to prevent raveling. Eyelets of metal or other material may be employed for this purpose, if desired.

A predetermined length of the resultant assem- 55 bly is then applied to the inner surface of the neckband portion I3 and is stitched thereto by means of two rows of longitudinal stitches 27 and 28 which extend completely through the neckband portion. By virtue of the selvage along the edges 22 and 23, these edges need not be doubled back in applying the stitches 2! and 28, but at the opposite lateral ends 29 and 30 the additional band or strip of material is turned inwardly before the transverse stitches 3| and 32 are applied.

When the assembly is completed, a'pocket or space 33 is formed between the added strip of material and the inner ply l8 of the tie. This pocket is completely sealed except for the perforations 26. When the hook I4 is inserted into any selected perforation, the stresses that are subsequently produced when the tie is applied to the neck of the wearer are concentrated in the reinforcement band 2|. The hook l4 disposes itself within the pocket 33, and its function is capable of fulfillment without in the least impairing the normal condition of the fabric of which the plies i1 and is of the tie are made. Since the tie fabric may be of relatively delicate character, often silk, and since the longitudinal stitches I9 are not usually of more than ordinary strength, the advantages of the present mode of association between the hook i4 and the reinforcement band 21 will be obvious.

Since the band 2 i is selvaged along its opposite edges, as hereinbefore described, the latter need not be turned in before the stitches 25 and 24 are applied, and as a result the complete assembly is not of excessive thickness. ,It is to be understood that Figure 2 is exaggerated, for the sake of clearness, and that the actual assembly is much more compact than might seem to be the case.

The perforations 26 are, of course, arranged in predetermined spaced relationship, so that the association of the hook I 4 with any selected perforation adjusts the neckband of the tie to a predetermined neckband size (usually measured in inches). Preferably, the perforations 26 are one inch apart, as a result of which the shifting of the hook M from one perforation to the next adjusts the size of the neekband by one-half inch. This adjustability requires, of course, that the band be applied to the tie in a predetermined longitudinal position, i. e., the perforation 26 nearest to the hook I4 is arranged at a predetermined distance from the extremity of the neckband portion I 3.

The invention is applied with equal facility to a tie that is not of the ready-made variety, as illustrated in Figure 4. In this case, the bow portions 34 and 35 are each provided with neckband portions 36 and 31, respectively. The portion 36 is permanently secured, as at 38, to a metallic, elongated ring 39 through which the other neckband portion 37 slidablv ex nds. At the extremity of the portion 3! we provide a hook 40; and on the inside surface of the neckband portion 31 we attach'the additional strip of material which is designated in Figure 4 by the reference numeral 4!. This additional strip is applied, as hereinbefore described, by longitudinal stitches 42 and 43 and by transverse stitches 44 and 45. Perforations 46 are provided in the added strip,

in the same manner as hereinbcfore described,

and most clearly illustrated in Figure 2.

In Figure 5, the invention is shown applied to a ready-made four-in-hand type of tie. Qetailed description of this figure is not believed to be necessary since it will be obvious that the features, as described in connection with Figures 1-3, are exactly the same in Figure 5, except for the fact that the knot is a four-in-hand type of knot instead of a bow knot. It will be understood that the invention is also applicable to a regular four-in-hand tie, the tie in such a case being substantially identical with the tie illustrated in Figure 4, except that the ends 34 and 35 are considerably longer and are shaped in the conventional four-in-hand manner.

In use, the wearer adjusts the length of the tie to his particular neck size, and thereafter the hook l4 (or 40) is left in position and is not removed unless it is desired to subject the tie to ironing or the like. The application and removal of the tie from the neck of the wearer is accomplished, in Figure 1, by connecting and disconnecting the hook I6 from the ring I 5; and, in Figure 4, by tying and untying the bow ends 34 and 35. The tie of Figure 5 is applied to the neck in the same manner as the tie of Figure 1; and a regulation four-in-hand tie would be applicable to the neck in the same manner as the tie of Figure 4.

One of the outstanding advantages of our invention lies in the ability to construct the strip of material, as illustrated in Figure 3, in indeterminate and continuous lengths. This can be accomplished at extremely small expense, and independently of the tie assembly. For example, a continuous length of ribbon material 20 can be associated with a continuous length of reinforcement material 2| by applying the stitches 24 and 25 by machine. The resultant assembly can then be perforated throughout its entire length, also by machine if desired, and the resultant ribbon of material can be wound up and stored for future use. Whenever it is necessary in completing a given tie construction to employ a portion of this ribbon material, a predetermined length is cut off and attached to the tie, as hereinbefore described. In this way, the manufacture of the tie itself (i. e., without the additional ribbon) can be performed and completed in the usual and customary manner and by the usual workmen. The application of the added length of ribbon material is thereafter a matter of extreme simplicity, requiring no particular skill or ability.

If desired, suitable numerical markings may be placed adjacent to a series of successive perforations to indicate neck sizes. It is also possible, by means of the present invention, to imprint upon the added ribbon the name, address, and/or trade-mark of a retailer.

Another advantage of the present invention lies in the fact that it may be adapted to tie constructions that are already completed. In other words, the employment of our invention does not call for any modification of conventional methods of making ties; nor does it require any replacement of ordinary plies of tie material with composite plies. We are aware of the fact that neckties of the present general character are well known in the art, and that adjustability has heretofore been accomplished by means of a hook at the extremity of a neckband portion, as herein described. We believe, however, that our present mode of construction, providing for an I additional strip of perforated and reinforced material, is anew and useful and highly advantageous improvement in the art.

It will be obvious that changes in the details, herein described and illustrated for the purpose of explaining the nature of our invention, may be made by those skilled in the art-without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claim. It is, therefore, intended that these details be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting-- sense.

Having thus described our invention, and illustrated its use, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- In an adjustable necktie, a neckband tie portion comprising inner and outer plies of tie material stitched to each other along their edges, said portion being doubled back upon itself and being provided with a hook at its end, and a periorated additional strip of material stitched along its edges to the inside surface of said tie portion so that said hook may be engaged with any selected perforation, said strip comprising a length of ribbon selvaged along its longitudinal edges, a reinforcement band stitched to the underside oi said ribbon along a medial longitudinal area, and said perforations extending through said ribbon and reinforcement band and being arranged in predetermined longitudinally spaced relation. 7

MAX HALPERN.

WILLIAM MAYER. 

